Dec 28 2014

Love me, love my cat!

Finding different ways to promote my book is quite a challenge. So I decided today to let you know – in case you haven’t read it yet – that there are two cats who feature in Starting Over. The cats are called Soames and Fleur. Fleur is the mother of Soames (just to mix things up a bit – Forsyte Saga fans will appreciate this). She’s a tabby cat and is more active than Soames, the ginger one, who can generally be found resting on top of the Aga cooker in the kitchen. I imagine he looks something like this:

ginger

Here’s a quote from the novel featuring the two main characters and Soames:

“Ellie was in the kitchen, sitting at the table, Soames sat contentedly on her lap enjoying the sensation of her fingers stroking him; long, leisurely strokes, starting at the top of his large ginger head continuing down his spine and caressing the length of his tail. Both Ellie and the cat had their eyes closed, but only Soames was purring.

Robin watched from the doorway. Lucky Soames. It had been a long time since Ellie had stroked her with such tenderness.”

So, come on, cat lovers – get the book and start reading!

Starting Over is available from: Affinity / Amazon / Bella Books / Smashwords

 

Dec 23 2014

Christmas reading

I was given ‘A Christmas Carol’ as a present when I was ten. And I still have the very old paperback that only cost 35 cents.

As a writer, one of the hardest things is to know where and how to start your story. So I went back and had a look at this one by Charles Dickens which has lasted a good long time, a story that is still enjoyed today. The first line reads – Marley was dead, to begin with.

And that’s it. Simple, you would think. But, what if there was no comma in that sentence? What if it was changed around  – To begin with Marley was dead – ? Neither of those works.

Six words to begin the story that was described – on the back of this particular book – as “an impassioned plea to humanity for charity, mercy and tolerance.” This book was first published in 1843. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is due another visit, I think.

grinch

A book with a similar message and also one of my favourites is ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” It’s the wording near the end of the story that always made me well up…”the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day…” And he charges back down into Whoville to return all the presents and the food he had taken during the night.

Powerful storytelling in both these stories with messages that have stood the test of time…and lessons to be remembered, not just at Christmas.

However you celebrate at this time of year, I would wish you and your loved ones a happy holiday…and some good books to read!

Dec 15 2014

In Praise of Older Lesbians

mulled

Mulling this over as I was sitting in a café at the weekend, enjoying a glass of mulled wine on a cold December day, I was encouraged to see that this month’s Diva magazine has a feature article on some very talented and sexy older lesbians including VG Lee and Diana Souhami. This diverse group of women in their sixties and seventies are still living life to the full and making plans for the future. And my plan is to emulate these ladies and carry on growing old disgracefully.

When I began writing ‘Starting Over’ I didn’t consciously set out to write about older women. However, one of the main characters, Ellie Winters, was struggling with the idea of reaching fifty.

As part of her midlife crisis, Ellie has a brief affair with a woman her own age, Dr Kathryn Moss, a professor of archaeology. They share many of the same interests. Ellie taught history at high school level and now makes a living as a potter. They seem to be a well-matched couple and at the beginning of the story it’s Kathryn who is interested in ‘starting over’ with their relationship. But things don’t always work out the way you think. And there are a few obstacles in the way of this reunion.

The main characters in my book are in their mid forties to fifties and as one reviewer put it – they jump in and out of bed “as if they were training for the Olympics.” A bit of an exaggeration, I thought, it’s not like there’s sex on every page. However, they do have their moments.

If you haven’t taken a chance on a new writer and added ‘Starting Over‘ to your holiday reading list, now’s the time to take the plunge and find out what’s happening with the ‘oldies’ at Starling Hill farm.

(Note: ‘Starting Over‘ has been nominated in two 2015 Golden Crown Awards categories: Debut Novel and Traditional Contemporary Romance)

(Available from Affinity, Amazon, Bella Books and Smashwords.)

Dec 6 2014

Introducing Arc Over Time

I’m pleased to announce that the sequel to Starting Over will be published by Affinity eBook Press in May 2015.

Arc Over Time continues the story focusing mainly on the developing relationship between the archaeologist, Dr Kathryn Moss and the journalist, Denise Sullivan— with all the problems inherent in maintaining a long distance relationship.

That’s all I’m going to say for now. More will be revealed in the coming months.

bridgespring

If you haven’t read Starting Over, then now’s the time to check it out and discover how these two characters met and what might be standing in the way of a happy ever after ending for them.

(Available from Affinity, Amazon, Bella Books and Smashwords.)

Nov 27 2014

Christmas is Coming!

And so is a wonderful collection of stories from Affinity…due out 7 December.

affinity_christmas

Jen Silver: The Christmas Sweepstake

Commander Nike Jordan might have met her match in Dr. Isobel Turner, the newest addition to the spaceship crew bound for Earth, and the only one to say no to the handsome commander. Will one lucky crew member be getting a Christmas bonus, or is the sweepstake destined for a rollover?

Ali Spooner: Big Sky Christmas

Join the crew of the MCS ranch as they enjoy Christmas, Montana style. Can cowgirls do it in the snow, too? Festive Fun and games…and cookies!

Fran Heckrotte: Death, A Christmas Story

A visit with Jennifer and Suze, characters from Kiss of the Butterfly, part of Fran’s Odyssey of the Butterfly anthology.

Annette Mori: The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Elves in Love

Christmas could be in serious trouble, production is down and Santa won’t be delivering any gifts unless he can provide them for all the children. Something needs to be done, and fast. But a lesbian elf to the rescue…really? Read this delightful tale from Annette to find out more.

JM Dragon: Sleigh Bells

An adorable child, a broken family, and a six-foot elf? Yep, all the right ingredients for a wonderful romantic Christmas adventure from the talented JM Dragon.

Nov 21 2014

A Singing Bird

It amazes me that after all these years I can open The Norton Anthology of English Literature (Volume 2) and quickly find the poem I remember so well. This is ‘A Birthday’ by Christina Rossetti. It is, like so much of her output, full of memorable phrases. It’s the one that starts off…

“My heart is like a singing bird

Whose nest is in a watered shoot:”

…and ends with…

“Because the birthday of my life

Is come, my love is come to me.”

I always wondered about Christina. She had three male suitors and married none of them. It has been suggested this was because of her religious views. However, I wonder if there wasn’t something else at play here. Her brother’s illustration for the cover of one her most famous poems, Goblin Market, shows two women intimately entwined. In the poem, the women are sisters, but is there a subtext? Why did he choose this image to illustrate the cover?

goblinmarket

Illustration by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

By jenjsilver
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Nov 13 2014

My exciting week!

So far this week:

Signed book on its way

I had a winner in the Women and Words giveaway. So, a signed copy of Starting Over is now on its way to Karen B. Many thanks to Karen and everyone else who took the time to read my guest blog on the site – A Journey to Publication.

My novel’s been nominated for two 2015 Golden Crown awards: Debut Author and Traditional Contemporary Romance. Wonderful to be nominated but the competition looks fierce!

And the local bookshop sold two copies of my book.

And…it’s only Thursday!

Nov 5 2014

Starting Over – Character profile: Introducing Jo Bright Flame

If you’ve read the blurb on the back of the book, you will know the names of the three main characters: Ellie Winters, the potter and owner of Starling Hill farm; Robin Fanshawe, her wandering lover; and Dr Kathryn Moss, an archaeologist.

So today I would like to introduce one of the other characters. She turned up in Chapter One, arriving at the farm in her colourfully painted VW camper van, reminiscent of the psychedelic heyday of the 1960s…along with her rescue dog, Harry.

The intention when I started the story was that she would only have a minor role. Her border collie, Harry, unwittingly sets off the chain of events that leads to a university-led archaeological dig at the farm. Robin had invited Jo to visit because she expressed an interest in learning how to throw pots. However, as events unfold, she ends up having a bigger part to play.

Jo is a free spirit and immediately entrances Ellie, even though she is one in a long line of Robin’s one-night stands. She calls herself a craft worker and makes things out of recycled materials…wind chimes from old CDs, belts and tablemats from plastic bags, and even a dog bed for Harry made with old towels. She sells her wares at local markets and fairs and during the summer makes the rounds of various music festivals.

However, recently she’s started to think about settling down and has found herself drawn to Hebden Bridge, a small market town on the edge of the Pennines. There’s an atmosphere in the town that resonates with her spirit and idea of how she wants to live her life. She can feel the buzz of creativity in the air. She’s attracted by the constant movement…a flow, not just of the river and the road traffic, but the people…visitors passing through, cyclists, ramblers, street performers, outdoor markets, small local businesses and an abundance of cafes and open air seating, meeting places in the square in the heart of the town, and in the park located between the river and the canal.

Hebden Water

Oh, and there are, allegedly, a fair number of lesbians living in the town. All in all, Jo can see herself fitting in just fine.

This is the sign, referred to in the book. The first is the wording you see approaching the town from the west, the second is what you see as you leave the town travelling the other way.

sign1sign2

Oct 28 2014

Writing tips from Neil Gaiman, PD James and Rachel Aaron

Just thought I would share these tidbits of advice from three very different writers.

Neil Gaiman’s pep talk on the NaNoWriMo site is a must read particularly for novice novel writers like myself. Basically he’s saying what we are told in Writing 101 – just write. It’s not going to write itself. I like his analogy of building a dry stone wall. There are a lot of those around where I live so I will be constantly reminded of his words on this as it relates to the writing process.

PD James at 93, and still going strong, offers up her top ten tips for writing novels. Some of these resonated strongly with me. In particular, number 9. It certainly made me smile to realise that even a writer with her track record goes through that awful waiting period after submitting her work to her publisher wondering if they like it. (…sent it on Friday, surely they should have rung by Saturday to say how good it is…)

And then there’s this very long blog post from Rachel Aaron who has worked out how to go from writing two thousand words a day to ten thousand. She certainly has no problem writing a lot of words. However it’s worth ploughing through (and speed reading) as she does make some good points. Perhaps the best one being to find a place to write without the distraction of the internet.

However, if you want to skip all that, just go with Neil Gaiman’s succinct analysis…write “one word after another”.

That’s it. End of story!

By jenjsilver
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